Review of Burning Rage

[Ngozi Onyibor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Burning Rage" by Don Banting.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Burning‌ ‌Rage‌ ‌by‌ ‌Don‌ ‌Banting‌ ‌is‌ ‌an‌ ‌exploration‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌human‌ ‌psyche.‌ ‌It‌ ‌illustrates‌ ‌how differently ‌humans‌ ‌react‌ ‌to‌ ‌traumatic‌ ‌experiences.‌ ‌

As‌ ‌a‌ ‌child,‌ ‌Jess‌ ‌dealt‌ ‌with‌ ‌bullying‌ ‌at‌ ‌school.‌ ‌At‌ ‌home,‌ her mother constantly‌ ‌criticized‌ ‌her for‌ ‌minor‌ ‌mistakes‌; she could do no right. She‌ ‌lived‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌shadow‌ ‌of‌ ‌her‌ ‌younger‌ ‌brother,‌ ‌Nathan.‌ ‌Her‌ ‌already‌ ‌difficult‌ ‌situation‌ ‌got‌ ‌worse‌ ‌after‌ ‌her‌ ‌father‌ ‌left.‌ ‌Jess‌ ‌grows‌ ‌into‌ ‌a‌ ‌misanthrope‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌loathing‌ ‌for‌ ‌cheerful people ‌and‌ ‌gatherings.‌ ‌Hence,‌ ‌she‌ ‌went‌ ‌to‌ ‌grave‌ ‌lengths‌ ‌to‌ ‌obliterate‌ ‌several‌ ‌nightclubs‌ ‌and‌ ‌celebration‌ ‌venues.‌ ‌When‌ ‌she‌ ‌learned‌ ‌the‌ ‌police‌ ‌were‌ ‌closing‌ ‌in‌ ‌on‌ ‌her,‌ ‌she‌ ‌set‌ ‌up‌ ‌someone‌ ‌to‌ ‌take‌ ‌the‌ ‌fall‌ ‌for‌ ‌her‌ ‌crimes.‌ ‌Her‌ decision‌ ‌to‌ ‌lie‌ ‌low‌ ‌didn't‌ ‌last‌ before ‌she‌ ‌met‌ ‌Brandy,‌ ‌a‌ ‌young‌ ‌nursing‌ ‌student.‌ ‌Their‌ ‌interactions‌ ‌opened‌ ‌her‌ ‌eyes‌ ‌to‌ ‌something‌ ‌she‌ ‌had‌ ‌been‌ ‌missing‌ ‌her‌ ‌whole‌ ‌life.‌ ‌So‌ ‌she‌ ‌hatched‌ ‌a‌ ‌plan‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌life‌ ‌with‌ ‌Brandy,‌ ‌with‌ ‌or‌ ‌without‌ ‌her‌ ‌consent.‌

Burning‌ ‌Rage‌ ‌by‌ ‌Don‌ ‌Banting‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌psychological‌ ‌thriller‌ ‌that‌ ‌will‌ ‌appeal‌ ‌to‌ ‌fans‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌genre.‌ ‌The‌ ‌narration‌ ‌meanders‌ ‌between‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌and‌ ‌third-person‌ ‌perspective‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌protagonist's‌ ‌past‌ ‌and‌ ‌present.‌ ‌

Don‌ ‌is‌ ‌a beautiful storyteller.‌ ‌He‌ ‌relayed‌ ‌the‌ ‌story‌ ‌with‌ ‌flair‌ ‌and‌ ‌masterful‌ ‌twists‌ ‌that‌ ‌kept‌ ‌me‌ ‌engaged‌ ‌throughout.‌ ‌Also,‌ ‌he‌ ‌weaves‌ ‌authentic‌ ‌dialogues‌ ‌while‌ ‌maintaining‌ ‌a‌ ‌steady‌ ‌pace‌ ‌that‌ ‌suits‌ ‌the‌ ‌narration‌ ‌just‌ ‌right.‌ ‌

I‌ ‌was‌ ‌most‌ ‌impressed‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌characters'‌ ‌relatability.‌ ‌The‌ ‌ordinariness‌ ‌of‌ ‌their‌ ‌lives‌ ‌and‌ ‌routines‌ ‌were‌ ‌charming.‌ ‌Hence, ‌it‌ ‌was‌ ‌easy‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌enamoured‌ ‌by‌ ‌them‌ ‌and‌ ‌get‌ invested‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌lives.‌ ‌I‌ ‌especially‌ ‌liked‌ ‌Laura's‌ ‌personality‌ ‌and‌ ‌drive.‌ ‌She‌ ‌seems‌ ‌like‌ ‌someone‌ ‌I‌ ‌could‌ ‌be‌ ‌friends‌ ‌with.‌ ‌

That‌ ‌being‌ ‌said,‌ ‌I‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌few‌ ‌quibbles‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌book.‌ ‌I‌ ‌feel‌ ‌like‌ ‌every‌ ‌character‌ ‌had‌ ‌a‌ ‌sufficient‌ ‌backstory‌ ‌except‌ ‌Jess's‌ ‌mother.‌ ‌Everyone‌ ‌got‌ ‌a‌ ‌chance‌ ‌to‌ ‌explain‌ ‌their‌ ‌actions‌ ‌except‌ ‌her.‌ ‌I‌ ‌sensed‌ ‌she‌ ‌had‌ ‌a‌ ‌lot‌ ‌to‌ ‌say,‌ ‌but‌ ‌she‌ ‌never‌ ‌had time ‌to‌ ‌express‌ ‌herself.‌ ‌Perhaps‌ ‌it‌ ‌adds‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌book's‌ ‌mystery.‌ ‌Still,‌ ‌it‌ ‌would‌ ‌have‌ ‌been‌ ‌nice‌ ‌to‌ ‌know‌ ‌the‌ ‌motives‌ ‌behind‌ ‌her‌ ‌behaviour.‌ ‌

Also,‌ ‌this‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌preference,‌ ‌but‌ ‌I‌ ‌don't‌ ‌like‌ ‌it‌ ‌when‌ ‌a‌ ‌fiction‌ ‌writer‌ ‌tries‌ ‌to‌ ‌provide‌ ‌solutions‌ ‌to‌ ‌whatever‌ ‌societal‌ ‌issues‌ ‌their‌ ‌book‌ ‌addresses.‌ ‌I‌ ‌believe‌ ‌Don‌ ‌attempted‌ ‌to‌ ‌accomplish‌ ‌this‌ ‌through‌ ‌Brandy.‌ ‌Writing‌ ‌is‌ ‌an‌ ‌art‌, and‌ ‌its‌ ‌allure‌ ‌lies‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌conclusions‌ ‌the‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌draws‌ ‌from‌ ‌it.‌ ‌When‌ ‌writers try‌ ‌to‌ ‌tell‌ ‌their‌ ‌readers‌ ‌what‌ ‌to‌ ‌think,‌ ‌they‌ ‌deprive‌ ‌them‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌thrill‌ ‌of‌ ‌coming‌ ‌up‌ ‌with‌ ‌their‌ ‌own‌ interpretations.‌ ‌For‌ ‌me,‌ ‌imbibing‌ ‌the‌ ‌words‌ ‌of‌ ‌an‌ ‌author‌ ‌and‌ ‌giving‌ ‌it‌ ‌a‌ ‌meaning‌ ‌unique‌ ‌to‌ ‌me‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌essence‌ ‌of‌ ‌consuming‌ written‌ ‌art.‌ ‌

Overall,‌ ‌the‌ ‌book‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌decent‌ ‌read.‌ ‌I‌ ‌rate‌ ‌it‌ ‌3‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌4‌ ‌stars.‌ ‌Though‌ ‌the‌ ‌editing‌ ‌is‌ ‌pristine,‌ ‌I‌ ‌deducted‌ ‌a‌ ‌star‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌quibbles‌ ‌mentioned‌ ‌above.‌ ‌In addition, it‌ ‌contains‌ ‌some‌ ‌violent‌ ‌scenes‌ ‌and‌ ‌profanities,‌ ‌so‌ ‌I‌ ‌wouldn't‌ ‌recommend‌ ‌it‌ ‌for‌ ‌children.‌ ‌ ‌

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Burning Rage
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[Stephanie Runyon]

I read this book and the major theme of the book was how our actions affect others. The transitions were showing the flashbacks that Jess was experiencing. Jess's mother knew about Brandy and where Jess's father went. She tried to play the victim card of “he left us.” Brandy felt sympathy for her captor after Jess relayed what she had gone through growing up.

[Chinaza Nnabuenyi]

The title of the book tells a lot about the book. I will love to read this review. Great job!

[Ekezie1998]

An interesting plot here. Would definitely love to get my hands on this book. Great review.

[leonard cavallaro]

I Am curious to read this book for myself to see how it would all come together.

[Fareed Regal]

Your great review has got me itching to read this one. Well done!